Alright, time to get back to reviews. Thanks, Todd! Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a wine tulip glass. Freshness date is "1/18/14." Consumed on "1/25/14." Shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Pours an amber golden color with a decent white fizzy head that whittles down to a tiny, thinned ring over the course of consumption. It may be the glass or the age on this, but lacing is minimal as are any noticeable legs. It is, nevertheless, quite viscous, especially for what seems to be an apparent run-of-the-mill winter warmer.

Smells extremely sweet - notes of honey, butterscotch, and toffee are all up in this, with the spices pushed way to the back. It's difficult to find them, but eventually they come around: ginger peel, cinnamon, brown sugar, as well as apples and bananas. Very sugary and not very spicy or zesty from the spices this was brewed with. The alcohol, alas, is well hidden. It's a different take on the style, but perhaps one that would appeal to fans of sweeter seasonal ales.

The flavor is the same story, with, as far as I can tell, far more muted spices on the palate completely taken over by the sugary malty profile. Honeyed, alongside sweet notes of toffee and butterscotch that last on the palate for a good long while. Finishes slightly fruity, as well as mildly spicy from the ginger and cinnamon, but the honeyed profile of the beer is victorious - as is the sweetness. Slight oxidized notes of sherry are definitely present. Isn't too much of a chore to drink, although it definitely gets more syrupy the more it warms up. The alcohol comes around over time, which only increases the sweetness. As a result, it's a bit difficult to finish.

As much I have been happy with Great Lakes in the past, I feel like as much as I should have probably had this a bit fresher, I don't think this would have been any less sweeter in the end. The ingredients are thankfully well presented, but the amount of residual sugars I had to wade through to get to them did not make it wholly worthwhile. Nevertheless, I'll happily give this a re-review when it comes out this year if I'm able to get my hands on a fresh bottle. (2,143 characters)

Had on tap in Cleveland airport and carried 6 to go - way to go in terminal brewpubs in Cleveland! A great holiday beer taking a more subtle and unique approach to holidays flavors - honey, cinnamon, ginger, all come through but not overwhelming. Consistent with GL beers- very clean, well made, and easy to go through a few in a single session. (345 characters)

Pours golden-amber in color, with excellent clarity, and topped with a rocky medium tan head. Nice lacing all around the edge of the glass. So far, so good.

Nose is fruity and rather nondescript. I know there's honey in this but there are no honey notes (and I know that it ferments pretty clean) and there are no real spice notes to speak of. Lighter notes of lemon rind and cherry, but very light. Much more of a malt-lover's beer, this one, and not much hop presence.

Sweet and broadly, almost treacly-sweet on the first sip, this one covers the tongue and palate and has just a touch of brisk carbonation. There's almost a creamy sensation, but this one is lightly-carbonated, and rather viscous.

Spice kicks in a little as it warms --some nutmeg and ginger, and maybe some green pepper? It is very subtle as far as spicing goes, and the bittering aspect of the hops is likewise quite minimal.

Perhaps a little on the stronger style for a winter warmer, but it is an American ale so that's par for the course! Not an outstanding beer, but it's nonetheless a solid one for the style.

Note: I paired this one with a little pineapple upside-down cake. Not bad! (1,166 characters)

This beer pours from the bottle with a beautiful, clear, pure amber color and a modest and fleeting off-white head. The aroma is spicy and somewhat fruity, with a traditional mulling spice combination being contrasted against notes sweet orange peel and honey-dipped bread (a challah, if you will). The flavor likewise features a forward use of cinnamon and ginger, but the rich bready malts provide a "soft" base from which the assertive spices emerge. The spicing isn't overly aggressive, but it definitely in front and deftly hides the 7.5% alcohol content. The fine, prickly carbonation emphasizes these spicy characteristics but hides the sweetness a bit, which is unfortunate. Overall, this is a lovely holiday beer, but I don't know that I'd want it more year-round. (773 characters)

O- This beer is okay, kinda a bit spice beer fatigue with this one coming right after pumpkin beer season. I prefer the way pumpkin helps spiced beers and I can tell it;s missing in a beer like this. Could have used more of a ginger and honey presence. (639 characters)

The beer pours a candied red/amber, almost like a dark fruit punch. It forms a soda-like head of spritzy white bubbles that fade into a scrim. In body the beer is thin and crystal clear, with only a bit of haze coming from its darker coloring. On the nose, the beer smells of soft, warm spices and an indiscriminately fruity malt. The spices are hard to pinpoint, but could contain nutmeg… The smell is softly spicy and festive, but not overwhelmingly pleasing. On the tongue, the beer tastes sweet and spicy. The spice tends far more towards the “Christmas spice” realm than towards the kick of pepper. The sweet malt almost tastes like fruit juice, and is balanced out by the spice which moves in on the middle and finish of the sip. Soft bitterness and light acidity accompany the spice for added balance. In flavor, the beer begins as sweet fruit juice, somewhere between generic fruit punch and apple juice. In the middle of the sip, the winter spices bowl onto the palate, giving hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and generic spice. The finish is of strong winter spices with a touch of grassy bitterness. The fruit juice flavors give a touch of cranberry juice in the finish, which is festive and odd. In the mouth, the beer feels on the light side of medium, practically light, with an oddly watery mouthfeel and a soft carbonation. The mouth is left with a light spice burn, some dryness, and some saliva in the cheeks. Overall, I’m a bit underwhelmed by this iteration. It has some nice winter spice, but the malt character is oddly like fruit juice, which I don’t much care for. This is an interesting beer, but I want more bread and caramel malt flavors and less fruit juice. The spicing is nice, if a bit too much on the end. Not a bad winter warmer, but not my favorite. (1,787 characters)

Pours a clear cranberry amber with half inch white head. Wispy on the top and spider webs down.

Aroma mainly of cinnamon powder and ginger snap. Smells deceivingly full bodied. Basically a full onslaught of holiday spice and sweet malt.

Tastes pretty darn close to a lot of pumpkin ales I've had this year. Cinnamon is the first spice to come to my mind. Candy spice drops and crystal ginger essence. I'd say its Christmasy alright.

Mouthfeel is of medium body and is actually refreshing. Nothing overbearing or heavy laden.

Again, this reminds me of a lot of the pumpkin beers yet the ginger, for me, gives this the edge to give this that christmas feel. Shared some this year with my BMC friends who all agreed this was a quality beer. Nothing is worse than weighing your friends and family down with heavy beers. GL Christmas ale is a great choice for yourself and to share during a festive time such as this. (916 characters)

T - There's a lot more bready malt than the smell would indicate. There also a shot of citrus and bitterness that wasn't evident in the smell. That being said, the cherry, candied apple, ginger and cinnamon make their presence known. It's a pleasing flavor that dries nicely and thankfully, isn't too sweet.

M - Medium body and light-medium carbonation. Syrupy but not cloying. There's a nice bit of resin that clings briefly. Leaves you wanting another sip.

O - This is a very enjoyable holiday ale. It's got some seasonal spicing but you still know you are drinking a good quality ale. I'll look for this again. (877 characters)

Picked up a growler for our Christmas party, enjoyed out of a pint glass. The color was actually pretty nice, a good looking brownish amber with an off-white head. The flavor had the requisite spices, particularly cinnamon and nutmeg, but it was a bit weak for my liking. (271 characters)

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that quickly died down, leaving a few bubbles on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass. S: Moderate aromas of spices are present in the nose—ginger and nutmeg seem to stand out in particular. T: The taste is similar to the smell and seems a bit more complex with additional hints of cinnamon sticks and caramel malts. M: It feels a bit mire than medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. O: I found this to be an interesting winter warmer that has some nice holiday spices and seems easier to drink compared to other beers in the style since it isn't that heavy in body. (745 characters)

Taste is similar to the aroma, but a bit amplified: spices are popping but not overwhelming, good blend of clove, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and lighter cinnamon; malt is a good balance to the aroma, bread and biscuit hints of caramel - this beer does not taste anywhere near its strength as the spice covers the sweeter notes below.

Mouthfeel again mixes the spice and malt well, spices cover and dry out the strength of this beer making it very easily drinkable.

Overall, a very, very good winter/christmas ale; heavier spice doses work well in these ales compared to pumpkins because of the heavier malt flavors, a great brew. (949 characters)

Appearance- A light red colour, nice for the season. Very clear, with a small head that dissipated quickly, leaving minimal lacing.

Smell- Spices, as expected with the style- cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg. But unlike many other seasonal beers where the spices dominate, these are still pretty mild.

Taste- Like the smell, the spices are clearly there, but not overpowering. A nice reprieve from the spice blasts I'm used to in holiday beers. Instead it has a nice well rounded malt flavour, with more hops apparent than I'm used to in winter beers.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied and crisp.

Overall- My favourite of the style, and a very enjoyable beer. That said, its lacking a character that really makes it stand out above the crowd. So for me, enjoyable, but not stellar.

On a different note, it is good to see this beer in Upstate NY, as it has typically been a very hard beer to find here. (943 characters)

Pours a clear medium amber. Nice head and lacing that diminishes in about 2 minutes. Nose is mostly malt sweetness against a hint of soft spice. Medium bodied with a nice slick feel and well carbonated. The taste is slightly sweet with only a suggestion of spice, creating a nice balance of flavor that is subdued when compared to ST 2Xmas, which accentuates spice flavor. A nice crisp finish that brings the carbonation and spices (ginger and cinnamon) a bit more forward. If you want sweet with a hint of spice, then this beer is for you. If you prefer spice flavor, go with Southern Tier 2Xmas. Both are expertly crafted brews that achieve their respective flavor profiles. (676 characters)

Full Disclosure: This is absolutely my favorite beer. Perhaps because I had such a wonderful time being introduced to 'Christmas Crack' by amazing people. Perhaps it's because I no longer reside in an area where it's available, or perhaps it's because it's a great fucken beer.. I dunno.

A: Depending on the year it has varied from medium copper to dark amber

S: Slightly metalliac, hints of clove & pine

T: DEEELIIISH!!! Christmas in a bottle (or out of a tap if yer lucky). Hints of clove,orange, carmel. The spice is well balanced with a sweet finish.

M: The spice ignites the front while the carmel, malt smooths out the back. Overall happiness.

This pours a burn orange or brick orange and has golden hues. A stream of bubbles make their way to the center of the glass to meet a creamy head of tinged off white foam. Good retention and great lacing on this one. There is a hefty amount of yeast or sediment floating around in this one and to call it hazed would be to undermine the substantial particles that are floating in this glass.

The nose is rich with malt. Caramel, bread, nuts, and a fain dusting of cocoa powder. There is a fresh light citrus and the scent of raw honey. There is a faint cinnamon and nutmeg and if you really dive deep the very faint scent of fresh ginger.

Taste is rich and malty. Thick, chewy and nutty. The citrus keeps it moving and the chocolate is as mellow as the spices. The honey adds a bit of sticky quality to the mouthfeel but the beer does not get terribly sweet. It finishes not quite dry and with a mellow and subdued aftertaste .

This one had a full malt mouthfeel. A grainy texture of caramel and nuts. The honey and the fruit could have been more powerful but they laid out restrained and somewhat flat. The spices were too faint in the drink to make a difference in the taste. It drank a bit heavy and slow. It needed something to contrast the nutty bready flavor and give it a lift on the palate. (1,303 characters)

This beer holds almost a filtered look as the Amber color is Crystal clear with limited bubbling in the body. The head was light and airy as it fluttered away quickly.

The scent is light and spicy with some strong nutmeg but underlining cinnamon. There's a lot of malt fruitcake and roasted nuts.

The flavor is on par with the aroma as the nutmeg holds a prevalent face. The cinnamon and spice is evident but laid back. The malt is slightly caramel not too sweet but the fruit cake and toasted nut is very tasty

The feel is not thick but not thin either with a nice ease but a nicer fullness.

I had the 2012 and was nit as I.pressed but 2013 was full of flavor and much better. (681 characters)